An Unexpected Surprise
by Live Fire
Summary: Bill's left in charge of looking after his younger brother, but when something goes wrong, they land in an unfamiliar place with a surprise waiting for them.


_**3/325 Weasley pairings: BillGeorge**_

* * *

"There he is! Look, I see him!" a four year old George Weasley screeched excitedly, jumping up and down on the spot while pointing. He clung to his mother's robes, trying to get a better look at the crowd exiting the Hogwarts Express. Although there were many children surrounding the family, George was still certain he could see his big brother Bill among them.

Laughing and smiling with a group of other children, with his red and gold scarf clad proudly around his neck, Bill lugged his trunk from the train. When he saw his entire family standing on the platform waiting for him, a huge smile graced the boy's lips and his steps became a little quicker until, eventually, he was in his mother's arms.

"Oh, it is so good to see you, dear," Molly Weasley greeted, hugging her eldest son closely who returned the hug with affection.

"How have your first few months been?" Arthur asked, clapping Bill on the back as soon as he was released from his mother's grasp.

Bill grinned at his family. "Brilliant," the twelve year old replied. "The classes are really good - except for History of Magic of course - and I've made some really good friends."

"Did you learn any spells?" George questioned eagerly, pushing his protesting twin brother aside so Bill's attention would be firmly on him.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, heaps!" he answered, his eyes shining brightly. "Do you want me to show you one?"

George nodded furiously, wide eyes watching in awe as Bill took out his wand.

"Excuse me?" Mrs Weasley asked, putting one hand on her hip since the other one was carrying Ginny, but still managing to give Bill a glare worthy of a Basilisk.

Bill looked sheepishly to his mother, stowing his wand away. "Uh, sorry," he apologised. As soon as her back was turned, he leaned closer to George, whispering, "Maybe when Mum isn't around, huh?"

George beamed as his mother grabbed his arm and began to pull him through the thinning crowd, back towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. He felt Bill's hand on his back as he pushed him forward.

"Stay close, kids," their mother warned. "Bill, can you take Charlie and Percy please? Arthur, take the twins. I'll take the Ron and Ginny."

Bill nodded, pride on his face as he walked with evident confidence. He was the eldest - a Hogwarts student now. He was more than capable of looking after his younger brothers.

"Come on now, the two of you," Arthur motioned towards Fred and George, gesturing for them to go through the barrier with him as soon as his three eldest sons disappeared. Each of the twins gripped one of their father's hands tightly.

Together, they walked swiftly through the barrier, coming out injury-free on the other side to another bustling station. Not one minute later, Molly came through the barrier carrying Ron and Ginny.

Molly ushered her seven children hurriedly through the station, ignoring the strange looks she got from passersby.

"Hey, George," Bill called, falling back so he was in step with his four year old brother. George looked up at him in curiosity. "I can do a Levitating charm," he whispered, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I can probably make you and Fred fly."

"If you do any such thing, I will take your wand off you and you will not be returning to Hogwarts!" Molly reprimanded sternly, overhearing their conversation.

"Yay!" Fred and George answered in unison and Bill wasn't sure if that was because he had promised to make them fly or that their mother wasn't going to let him go back to Hogwarts.

To get home, the large family had to make their way through Muggle London to reach the Leaky Cauldron, where they would then Floo back the Burrow. It was a long process just to go home, but it was the only way - Apparition was too dangerous for the younger kids. Arthur mentioned something about a Muggle car once, but it had just been an idea.

With such a large family now, though, Bill thought it would be a good idea. He hated Flooing - it made him rather dusty and dirty from the chimney soot. Especially from the Leaky Cauldron - all sorts of odd people and creatures stayed there. It wasn't a pleasant experience at all.

"Bill, if you could take George, please?" Molly asked, when they reached the fireplace. Although they were a large family, no one heeded them much attention in there - the Weasleys were well known for having a large number of children. Only Tom, the bartender, gave them a gruff hello as he wiped the countertops, but that was it. "I'll take Ron and Ginny; Arthur dear, can you take Fred? Charlie and Percy can go together."

Bill nodded. "Come on, Georgie," he said, holding out his hand to his little brother.

The four year old grasped it excitedly, bouncing up and down in anticipation.

Charlie and Percy were the first to leave, the two boys holding hands. Molly offered Charlie some Floo powder and he accepted it eagerly - pride in his expression at travelling alone. Pronouncing the words 'The Burrow' clearly, they were gone in a rush of bright green flames.

"You and George next, Bill," Molly ordered, gesturing for them to go quickly, since Ron was getting tired of waiting and was on the verge of bawling.

Bill stepped into the fireplace, making sure George was firmly beside him before he even looked at the Floo Powder. He took a rather large handful and let it fall from his hand, but as he opened his mouth to take him home, a cloud of dust suddenly overwhelmed him, making him cough and choke.

"Th-the Bu-ro-ro-we," he spluttered, feeling he - and George beside him - being spun past many fireplaces and hearths. Moments later, the brothers were being flung from one of them, Bill almost crushing George in the process.

He got to his feet, looking around the unfamiliar place. This wasn't the Burrow. Where were they?

"George?" Bill questioned, glancing down at his feet. His little brother was sprawled in an ungainly position on the floor, trying to get the soot from his eyes by rubbing vigorously.

"Help me, Bill," he coughed, reaching a soot-stained hand for his elder brother.

Pulling George to his feet, Bill set to work on brushing the ash and soot from his brother's dirty clothes. However, his attempt made little difference to the state of his brother. They were both filthy.

"Where's Mummy?" George asked, his eyes wide with fear as they roved around the place they had landed in.

"I don't know, Georgie," Bill answered truthfully. He wanted a similar answer. "It looks like a cellar or something."

"The Honeydukes cellar, to be precise."

Bill almost jumped out of his skin at the voice. He drew George closer to him before spinning on the spot to face a tall, slightly overweight wizard. His hair was greying on the side, but jet black on top. His expression wasn't unkind, but it wasn't friendly either.

"H-honeydukes?" Bill asked uneasily. "What's Honeydukes?" He'd heard it mentioned once or twice before, but what and where was it? How would they get home?

"Merlin, boy, you don't know what Honeydukes is?" The man - who had been standing on the steps leading up - moved closer to them with an expression of incredulity. Bill backed up against the wall, dragging George with him.

"Is it like a jail?" Bill wondered aloud. He knew Azkaban was a place for bad people, but he had never heard his parents mention that Honeydukes was also a prison.

A loud, raucous laugh filled the small cellar. A smile spread on the man's lips. "A jail?" He wiped a tear from his eye as he continued to chuckle to himself. "Come upstairs and I will show you this 'jail'," the man said. "I will also send an owl to your mother to let her know that the two of you are safe."

Bill gripped George tightly and shook his head. "We're not going with you," he replied firmly. "And you don't know my mother," he added confidently, folding his arms together in an attempt to show that he wasn't scared out of his wits right now.

The man laughed again. "I think I do know your mother, Mr Weasley. I also know your father. Now, please, it's cold down here at the best of times." His heavy footsteps creaked up the stairs and vanished through a door. In the moment that it was open, Bill's ears were filled with voices and cheery laughter. Even if it was a jail - which he highly doubted it now - it couldn't be that bad, right? People were laughing in there.

He looked down at his brother. "Let's go," he said, moving forward and tugging his brother's arm. George didn't budge an inch.

"I'm scared," he admitted quietly.

"There are people up there, Georgie," Bill said, throwing an arm around the four year old's shoulder. "We're okay. And that man said he was going to tell Mum." He pushed forward a little further and George was quick to follow.

The noise grew louder as they approached the door and the bright light - a sharp contrast to the dimly-lit cellar - almost blinded them. George peered around the corner and then called, "Sweets!"

"What?"

George looked up at his older brother, grinning from ear to ear. "Sweets," he said again. "In there." He pushed the door open to reveal a bustling room of many people old and young. There was hardly any room to move in, there were lots of people.

Without a second glance, George left Bill at the door leading down to the cellar and approached a stand of Christmas liquorice wands which changed colour at random intervals between red and green.

"I want one," George said.

"No," Bill answered sternly. He had to be the big brother in this instance. They were in a place called Honeydukes - which seemed nice enough - but he still didn't know where they were.

"Boys."

Bill jumped at the sudden voice, but it was only the shopkeeper. He looked up at the big man.

"I have contacted the your mother through the Floo and she will be here shortly to pick you up. In the meantime..." He gave them a wide smile. "Help yourselves."

"Yay!" Without waiting for another invitation, George picked up one of the colour-changing liquorice wands and shoved all of it into his mouth in one movement.

"Um... thank you," Bill said uncertainly, watching his four year old brother.

The shopkeeper smiled. "Anytime, Mr Weasley."

"Where are we, anyway?" Bill then questioned. How far away from home were they?

"Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?"

Wasn't that village really close to Hogwarts?

"Yes, not that far from school, are you? And to think you would have just gotten off the train not so long ago..." The man waved an arm towards another stand. "I'm serious, boy, help yourself. It must have given you both a fright to end up here."

Bill nodded. A fright was a bit of an understatement.

"Well, your mother will be here soon, but in the meantime, stay close by so I can keep an eye on both of you. Your mother will be furious with me if both of you disappeared under my watch."

"Thank you," Bill said again, slightly amazed that the shopkeeper was being so kind to him.

"I have a customer now who needs me, so, again, help yourself to anything." He wandered off to an older boy, standing at the counter with two Galleons in hand and a pile of sweets resting on the bench.

Bill shrugged, turning to George with a huge grin on his face. Well, who could say no to free sweets?


End file.
